Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
One in four high school girls has experienced physical, sexual or date abuse, says a nationwide study of more than 6,700 adolescents in grades 5-12. The study also shows that abuse is tied to higher rates of eating disorders, depression, smoking, drinking and drug use.
“This is the first national survey and it is most disturbing,” says Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund, a New York group that funds research on health and social issues, which conducted the study. “We need to improve access to good health care and . . . to make sure girls are getting professional mental health counseling so at least they can recover and go on with their lives.”
